Rotating Carousel Thermal Phase Separation Simulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for simulating oil-water separation, particularly for heavy crudes and bitumens, fail to accurately replicate the high temperatures and pressures involved in steam enhanced oil recovery processes, leading to inadequate testing of chemical agents for phase separation due to limitations in existing test vessels and equipment.
Innovation Solution
A thermal phase separation simulator featuring a circular block heater carousel with thermally conductive material, capable of rotating and equipped with heating elements, thermocouples, and illumination ports for visual observation, allowing for simultaneous testing of multiple chemical agents under realistic conditions of temperature, agitation, and pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If simple glass bottles are used for bottle testing, then the testing process is simple and inexpensive, but the testing cannot accurately simulate high temperatures and pressures of steam enhanced oil recovery processes
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system is segmented into multiple independent carousel units, each capable of maintaining specific temperature and pressure conditions. This allows simultaneous conducting of multiple tests under different realistic conditions while keeping each individual test unit simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables parameter changes by allowing different carousel units to operate at different temperatures and pressures simultaneously. The carousel design with heating elements and pressure control allows adjustment of physical conditions to match actual steam enhanced oil recovery processes, transforming the simple bottle test into an accurate simulation tool.
2Productivity
If multiple chemical agents are tested simultaneously, then the testing efficiency increases, but the complexity of the testing equipment and process increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple test bottles are merged into a single rotating carousel unit, which is then integrated with heating elements, thermocouples, and agitation mechanisms. This combining approach allows simultaneous testing of multiple chemical agents under identical controlled conditions, achieving high throughput without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The carousel design serves multiple functions: it holds multiple bottles, provides heating through integrated elements, maintains pressure, enables agitation, and allows visual observation through illuminated ports. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized equipment for each testing requirement, improving efficiency while controlling complexity.
3Temperature
If high temperatures above water boiling point are used, then the simulation accuracy for heavy crude processing improves, but the requirement for elevated pressure equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a simplified copy of the actual high-temperature high-pressure separation process by using small sealed carousel units that can withstand elevated pressures. These miniaturized pressure vessels replicate the essential conditions of industrial separators without requiring full-scale high-pressure equipment, allowing accurate simulation at manageable pressure levels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables effective testing of chemical agents for oil-water separation by simulating real-world conditions, reducing the need for expensive equipment and allowing critical visual observations, thus improving the accuracy and efficiency of chemical agent selection for phase separation processes.
Implementation Method 1
a circular array of test wells for receiving a plurality of test bottles, a plurality of heating elements disposed between the wells for heating the thermally conductive material
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of thermocouples disposed between the wells for monitoring the temperature of the thermally conductive material
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal phase separation simulator and method for testing chemicals is disclosed. The simulator comprises a circular block heater carousel mounted for rotation on a stage. The carousel includes a circular array of test wells for receiving a plurality of test bottles, a plurality of heating elements and thermocouples disposed between the wells. Each well has an illumination port and a vertical slit to the outside to allow visual observation or imaging of a vertical swatch of the bottle. An illumination source aligns with the illumination port of each well in response to rotation of the carousel. The method includes adding a mixed phase fluid to a plurality of bottles, adding a chemical agent to each bottle, and simulating a thermal phase separation. Images of the fluid in each bottle are captured and analyzed to determine the performance of the one or more chemical agents.